Kung po chicken

Originating in the Sichuan Province of south-western China, Kung po chicken is a spicy stir-fried dish of chicken, chillies and peanuts. The original dish, containing Sichuan peppercorns, has been described as mouth numbing but there are many regional variations resulting in different degrees of heat.

This is a westernised version but if you want a bit more authenticity throw in a few Sichuan peppercorns when you are frying the chilli and garlic.

Kecap manis is an Indonesian condiment. It’s a dark soy sauce, sweetened with jaggery and reduced to make a thick, sweet sauce with a hint of molasses. As there is so little in this recipe you could substitute it with extra dark soy sauce and a pinch of palm or dark muscovado sugar. It will give a slightly different result but you will still have a very enjoyable dish.